Both men and women can be controlling, and both men and women can violent. Domestic abuse occurs in same-sex and heterosexual relationships. This means both men and women can be victims of domestic violence, yet domestic abuse–informed practice requires a gender analysis and an understanding of coercive control.  

In this episode, Ruth and David examine some of the controversies and challenges associated with identifying and providing assistance to male victims of domestic violence including:

• Cultural understandings of masculinity and gender roles as barriers to disclosure and assistance
• Perpetrators claiming the mantle of victimhood as means to manipulate partners, professionals, and systems
• The need to recognize men's histories of victimization and trauma without using it as excuse for abusive behavior 
• How mapping patterns of coercive control can help identify male victims, protect them, and inoculate professionals against manipulations by perpetrators claiming victim status

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Now available! Mapping the Perpetrator’s Pattern: A Practitioner’s Tool for Improving Assessment, Intervention, and Outcomes The web-based Perpetrator Pattern Mapping Tool is a virtual practice tool for improving assessment, intervention, and outcomes through a perpetrator pattern-based approach. The tool allows practitioners to apply the Model’s critical concepts and principles to their current case load in real

Check out David Mandel's new book Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to Transform the Way We Keep Children Safe from Domestic Violence.

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